This article will explain when and where to import CTFs and why you should NOT import your CTFs directly into your MIS first.
CTF (Common Transfer File) from the previous school will contain information that the previous school had on the applicant, including contacts. However, it also encompasses other data that only the school can provide, such as accurate school history, attendance data, assessment data, and other information.
The CTF should not be imported into Admissions+.
We recommend that when you receive a CTF from the previous school, it should only be imported into your MIS after you have completed the data transfer for that student from Applicaa into your MIS. This will ensure that you have the latest personal data collected from the parents or the applicant themselves in your MIS.
After you have done this, you can then go ahead and import the CTF into your MIS. When importing the CTF, we advise that you select only the data not already collected from parents. This is done to avoid issues like duplication of accounts or data being overwritten.
For example, you should not import (deselect) basic details of the applicant, the contact section, and the address information from the CTF. Only import (select) data that can only be obtained from the school, such as assessment data, school history, and possibly SEN (Special Educational Needs) information, as this will be more reliable coming from the previous school.
Having first imported the applicants into your MIS from Admissions+, the CTFs can then be imported and linked to the existing profiles within your MIS and thus no duplicate profiles will be created.
1. Collect data from the applicant or parent in Admissions+
2. Transfer that data from Admissions+ to your MIS
3. Import the CTF to your MIS, deselecting any data which has already been supplied by the parent or applicant